The field of the present disclosure relates generally to joint assemblies and, more specifically, to a mechanical joint that facilitates restricting movement between components thereof
Recently, at least some known aircraft components have been fabricated from multi-layer laminate structures of non-metallic composite materials such as carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The composite materials may be used in combination with metallic materials, such as aluminum, titanium, and/or steel, to reduce the weight of the aircraft. As used herein, the term “metallic” may refer to a single metallic material or a metallic alloy material. Reducing overall weight generally contributes to increasing the fuel efficiency of the aircraft.
Known composite-metallic hybrid structures may be implemented in a variety of applications in aircraft assemblies. For example, at least some known rotor blades include features that provide local masses along the span and the tip regions of the blade. The features may be used to modify the structural dynamic characteristics of the blade and/or enable weight balancing provisions to be incorporated into the blade to account for variations in blade mass resulting from manufacturing.
At least some known features are structurally bonded (i.e., an adhesive) into the blade or a blade spar assembly using a lap-shear joint. Ensuring the integrity of the structural bond generally requires inspection with a non-destructive inspection (NDI) based imaging technique. However, NDI may be a labor-intensive and costly process. As such, improving the manufacturing time of structures that use lap-shear joints and improving the reliability of the structural bonds used therein are becoming increasingly important.